The Environmental Protection Agency's disclosure last month that Hyundai and Kia inflated fuel economy ratings over three years prompted industry observers to wonder whether the government is taking a more aggressive stance on policing the ratings, which largely are based on the honor system.
Consumers often have questioned automakers' gas mileage claims, especially when drivers' own calculations yield a different result. But rarely has the EPA called out a company and forced it to reimburse customers for exaggerating fuel economy.
"When something like this happens, the whole industry is hurt," said Robert Bienenfeld, senior manager of environment and energy strategy for Honda. "It's very important that people have confidence in the system. Even if there was not an event like this, there's skepticism about the numbers because people individually have different data."
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